Thursday, 15 September 2016

? SANTA ? Pimped!!!

Well the call has gone out. Both Santa Claus (Chris @ http://cstoesen.blogspot. And Secret Santa (Cath and Ian @ Blog with No Name ) are running Santa gift blogs again this year. Firstly let me say I did enter them both last year and did have a LOT of pleasure doing so. So I would consider doing both again... But see below.

On Chris's Blog you paint a figure or group of figures and send them to someone who is involved and in turn someone, probably a very different person send you one back. Needless to say you are supposed to have a look at the persons blog and select something that appeals to them. But it is random who you get to paint for and who gets to paint for you and you have no real control over what figure they will send. But the idea is that it should be about £5 in value before painting. So you could get pretty much anything, within that price band. And that is the fun bit.... you could get anything and it may be better than you can paint. But you could get something that while painted to the best of their ability just is not as good as you could have done yourself. BUT it is the surprise that is the fun and you get to see your work on anothers blog as well when they un wrap it.

Ian and Cath (Ian runs the Blog while Cath runs the Santa) do it a different way. Each participant is given another random blog and they are to scan it and pick up clues as to what that participant might want. Many including myself tend to do a wish list to help any participants who ever they may be to focus them to what you truly want . BUT the list is optional and you can select something else to send them as long as you think it is what they would want. For example a participant may have a VERY narrow set of wants. "I only want this code XXX or code XXY from this manufacturer and nothing else!" Which does to my mind take all the fun out of it after all where is the surprise, they might as well buy it themselves! But I know at least one person does so. So be Warned and if you get them well basically hard luck OR be prepared to think laterally and get them something else that fits in with their want but is not exactly what they have listed. So you may have to think creatively. I already have an idea what I will get them if I get their name pulled out of the hat.

So the good is that you have some fun and get a gift. Last year I got an absolutely brilliant gift from my SECRET Santa. It I so nice I am a little scared of painting it for fear of ruining it. Yes it is that good. But I hope to soon. Hopefully very soon. Maybe even next week. But I might need to take a bravery pill first.

And the Bad. I did not receive a painted figure from Chris's blog. Not his fault, he is just the agent who selects people to paint for another. Chris is aware of this lack of figure and while he has apologised as far as I am aware the person who sent it has not. Maybe they have a good reason for not sending a painted figure, maybe the post office failed to deliver (ALWAYS GET PROOF OF POSTING!) maybe they just do not like me, maybe they have been ill maybe I am on Santa's naughty list. Their could be all number of reasons. All I know is that I did not get a painted figure.

having scanned some blogs I know both my gifts arrived and I think were well appreciated and that makes me feel good.

So for that Reason I will not be entering Chris's Santa Clause Blog painted figure scheme this year, but I will be entering Ian and Caths.

21 comments:

To be honest, I'm not entering either this year. Mainly due to financial restraints.

Last year both my gifts were delivered successfully, and I received both in return. No problems there. But. With the painted figure gift, both myself, and the chap delivering to me, had to ship across the Atlantic - me to the USA, him to the UK. Both cost the equivalent of £15 to £20 in postage, for a £5 figure. Fair enough, that's the luck of the draw and it could have happened with either blogger event (postage would have been higher if sending a larger £15 parcel - luckily for me, my target was in the UK). The high postage cost just soured the blogger event for me.

Anyway. I wish both events well. And I hope everyone involved has a great time participating.

Thank you Roy. Mine also had to go to foreign lands (but in mainland Europe)so the expense was not so very much.

I have contacted Chris and let him know if it has happened to another I will paint a figure for them. And expect nothing in return. In the hopes that it might promote good KARMA (well it will not make my dice rolling any worse!)

I haven't participated in a Secret Santa style gift giving for many years and woouldn't participate in one nowadays for most of the 'con' reasons out-weighing the 'pro' reasons you outline above.It is though a great idea but difficult to pull off successfully imo.

Thank you Joe. Last year was my first and I am very happy with Secret Santa. The Guy or girl who sorted my pressie got me something BETTER than I could have hoped for and from a company I was not aware of. So a Massive double thumbs up from me. (I also know it will be the only wargames stuff I am likely to get at Christmas), so I am doubly thankful.)

Not trying to pull you in but we have found it to have been a great success to date, even taking into account the fact that many will not wish to be negative to those running it. I certainly get a lot out of it

Clint, I was thinking about doing this on either site, although the painted fig one appeals to me most. It literally is the postage putting me off. I know it takes some of the random out of it but maybe if the organisers were to "match" recipients/givers into continents it might make it more attractive?

Hi Andy. Both organisers do make some effort to match people on the same continent. needless to say this cannot always be the case, but I am assured they do try. I took part for the first time last year and I sent one to somewhere in the UK (I do not recall where) and one to mainland Europe. So for me the expense was not excessive. maybe this year I will get to send something or receive something from further abroad. If I get some where really exotic I would send sweets/crisps as well, JUST because that would be fun!

Most importantly IT IS FUN and even with the non delivery by one person, I still do not regret taking part. maybe after all I am on the naughty list!

Chatting with Chris earlier he will try and match all as best he can. This is really good news as you have no choice but to send from your own country. However Secret Santa you can buy a gift in the targets country cutting down the postage charge. Cath now that SS is so large (over 30 taking part) now does it almost totally random. She just makes sure no one gets the same target as before. She keeps a book on who got who in previous years. She is a real start and the main reason it works so well.

If you like the painted version, consider that the cost of the figure/s is £5 so it's quite a small package as a rule so not so expensive to send on.

Clint, remember some countries don't allow foods through their customs, so the parcel might be refused entry into somewhere like Canada or the USA (at least I think it was those countries, Border Security television programmes is what I'm basing my knowledge on).

Like you, I've sent (local to me) gifts in with items sent to distant places, though after considering the customs possibility I kept it to tourist postcards or small gifts - In the case of the Santa events the recipient would see the postal mark so would know where the item was posted from, so a tourism postcard etc wouldn't give the 'secret santa' game away.

I don't mean to sound a spoil sport Scrooge, but it may help others reading this as well.

I placed my order for my secret Santa recipient(Ian's version) in the UK since it was destined to go to, another North European country. Saved me a bunch on shipping but it did mean I couldn't put in any personal extras. The Gift I got was way over and above the price that was supposed to be spent (unless the person had access to this stuff whole sale).

Thank you Adam. It is a good scheme. And I hope the person who sent mine made a genuine mistake as opposed to not ending it at all. Most importantly it is some fun and a way of getting something wargames related from someone who knows what you are after. Not like a relative who just does not understand.

I also believe my Secret Santa was slightly more (£18 as opposed to £15) But it is a beautiful figure and I suspect the person involved spent much tie and effort getting me just the right gift. For which I am very grateful.